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P., RADCLIFFE. GAS FURNAE.

Patented Feb. 1, 1887.

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P. RADCLIFFE.

GAS EURNAGE. No. 357,030. Patented Feb. 1, 1887.

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N0. 357,030. Patented Feb. 1, 1887..,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FR ANOIS RADCLIFFE, OF PLUMSTEAD, COUNTY OF KENT, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY y ARTHUR GADSDEN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

GAS-FURNA'CE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,030, dated February 1l 1887.

Application filed January 1l, 1886. Serial No. 188,232. (No model.l Patented in England December 3, 18S-I, No. 15,P80`.

To (illu/'710m it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS RADCLIFFE, of 22 Crescent Road, Plumstead, county of Kent, England, have invented certain Improve- 5 ments in Gas-Furnaces, (for which I have obtained British Letters Patent No. 15,880, dated December 3, 1881,) of which the following is a specication. t

The main object of my invention is to so Io construct a -furnace for metallurgie and other uses in which a gas-producer is combined with a melting or combustion chamber that the highest heating efficiency will be obtained with the most economical use of fuel, and this object I attain in the manner which I will now proceed tov describe.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved furnace as constructed for the melting of iron and steel. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional plan view on the line 8 4, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 5 6, Fig. 1.

The main parts of my furnace comprise the gassproducers A, communicating through iiuesf with the melting or combustion chamber B, which in turn communicates through a iiue, h,'with the air heater or regenerator D above the melting or heating chamber, and 3o communicating with the latter through suitable apertures, g, which furnish the heated air to combinewith the gas from the producers to obtain the necessary combustion. The smokeiiues ofthe regenerator communicate with fines 3 5 C, surrounding the gas-producers and opening into the enlarged tlue E, containing the airblast-heating devices for the air to be supplied to the gas-producers, and also opening into the chimney or stack F, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Each of the gas-producers A is provided with suitable fire-bars a, and below the latter ash-pits b, with closed doors c, Fig. 3, at the sides to remove the ashes. At the top of each producer is a suitable feed-hopper, d, for supplying the fuel, and closed by a bell, e,'in any usual manner.

In addition to the usual bosh 0, formed in the walls of the producer above the grate, I prefer to forma second bosh, o', below the exitflue f, for the double purpose of holding up the fuel and preventingy any air from working its way np the side walls of the producer and burning or vitiating the gases produced.

' In the wall of the producer opposite the exitiluef, Iform an opening,f, closedbyasuitable door, to permit ofaccess to the interior of the producer and to the said iiue when desired.

I prefer to construct the dues so that they will communicate with each other and open into the-melting or heating chamber B, as illus- 5o trated in Fig. 8, and to turn the end of the flue upward and slightly contract it, as illustrated inFig. 1, so that the jets of air entering through the openings g immediately above the flue will strike the stream of gas nearly at right angles and more thoroughly mix therewith to produce a complete' ignition and combustion in the chamber B, on the hearth of which is contained the metal, glass', or other material to be melted or heated. The sidewalls of this 7o melting-chamber of the furnace are provided with suitable closed doors, i, and with a tapping-spout, j. A

The products of combustion from the chamber B pass through the upright flue h at the opposite end to the air-lIeateI-D, which I prefer to arrange above the melting-chamber, for

-convenience of access for repairs and in order to lessen the liability of dust passing over with the products of combustion from the melting- 8o chamberandchokinguptheiiues. Thestructure of the air-heater, however, is supported on pillars P' and cross-bars P', and is independent of the melting-chamber.

The air-heater is composed of a number of tubes, 7c, preferably of the rectangular section illustrated in Fig. 2, and supported by convenient `brick-work, all the tubes communieating at one end with a common fiue, 7c', While at the other end one-half the tubes open out 9o from an air-inlet line, r, and the other tubes open into the down flue s, with its openings g leading into the combustion-chamber above the gas-fiuesf. As will be seen on reference to Fig. 1, I p'refer to make these tubes in short sections and to arrange the brick-Work above referred to, where the joints occur, as illustrated in said figure, so that the brick-work will not only support the tubes, but also pro-4 tect the joints. By this construction the air under pressure entering at r will pass through the upper set of tubes, 7c, to the common due IOO k, and thence return through the lower set of tubes to the down-tine s, leading to the combustion-chamber, although the reverse direction may be adopted if deemed preferable.

Ample space is left between the tribes It' for the circulation of the products of combustion from the melting-chamber, and a bridge, d, is formed midway of the air-heater for inducing the better circulation of the products of combustion around the tubes, to more thoroughly heat the latter and the air passing through them; or a series of bridges so disposed as to cause the products of combustion to take a circnitous course may be used it' desired.

The products of combustion ai'ter leaving the air-heater D, where they are partially deprived of their heat, pass down through the tine t to the Ilues C, snrrouinling the gas-pro1 ducers A, the object of this being to utilize the heat of the products ot' combustion to heat the walls of the gasproducer and-iheilitate the production of gas therein. From these ilues C opens a iiue, E, communicating with the smoke-stack F, by which a draft may be obtained.

It will thus be seen that the gas-producers are arranged between the furnace proper or melting-chamber and the smokestaelg and the fines around and between the producers form a com muuication between thesmoke-ues from` the melting or heat-ing ehamberand the smokestack.

In the flue E, I arrange suitable piping Z and communicating boxes m, for heating the airblast introduced therein, and passing through tuyeres n into the ash-pits ofthe producers.

In the lines C, I prefer to also provide superheating steam-coils XV, having nozzles opening into the tuyeres i1, for the introduction of steam, as well as air, below the grates of the producers.

I am aware that gas-producers and furnaces have been combined with regenerators or heating-chambers, so that the products of combust-ion on their way to the chimney heat the incoming air introduced through the pipes-as, for instance, lin the patent of Chubb, No. 64,947, May 21, 1867. I am also aware thatit has been proposed to construct a furnace in which the tlues for the passage of the products of combustion on their way to the chimney have been constructed around the gas-producing chambers. I therel'ore do not claim these devices, broadly, my improvements consisting in the novel combination of parts going to make up a compact, economical, and practicable furnace.

I claim as my invention* l. The combination of a gas-producer and melting or heating chamber, ilues for the products nl" combustion leading from the melting or heating` chamber, a series of air-heating tubes passing through said lues, part of said air-tubes being open at one end to an air-supply, and part to an air-flue, s, leading to the combustion-chamber adjacent to the gas-tine of the producer, while the air-tubes at the opposite end open into a common ilue, 7.", and a bridge or bridges being constructed around the tubes in the line, all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the gas-producer and chimney with tlucs for the products of coinbustion leading from the melting or heating chamber t0 the chimney, and containing, irst, air-heating tubes for the melting or heating chamber; second, the gas-producer, around or through which the tlues pass, and, third, pipes for heating the air-blast for the gas-producer, all substantially as set forth.

3. The combination ot the melting or heating chamber, tlues for the products of combusliontherefroni containing air-heating tubes, a smoke-stack, and a flue, E, containing the airAblast-heating pipes for the producer, with a gas-producer between the melting or heating chamber and flue E, around or through which gas-producer the products of combustion pass on their way to the stack, substantially as specitied.

Dated this 17th day of September, 1885.

FRANCIS RADCLIFFE.

Vitnesses:

WM. S'roNL, JAMES A. Hannicit. 

